I'm back.... again

Haven't had a chance to catch my breath yet, but we are all back from South Australia now. Sienna got sick and threw up during the night/morning (not sure) on Monday morning, and again partway down the road when we started driving back to Melbourne. We had to turn around as Ben had left his Nintendo DS Lite somewhere in the house, and when we got back to his dad's Sienna was really upset and needed cleaning up.
Since she was so sick and didn't want to get back in the car at all, it was decided that Ben would continue home in his dad and Gayle's car, and nan (Gayle) would drive with me and the kids in our car on Tuesday, as long as Sienna was better. So long story short, the kids and I got home last night at dinner time, and Gayle drove home today in her car. Ben and I worked today, and the kids were in care, so am very tired!

I did get a few scrap pages done on the weekend, before Sienna got sick, which was so great. I'd been hanging out to create, and had some really nice solitude in Gayle's studio. I also took a few hundred photos, especially on Sunday when my cousin Bec and her hubby Joel came down for the day. Something about me and Bec - it is painful, we just laugh so much all the time. Sore tummies ;) So I will have plenty to edit in the next few weeks. I also edited the rest of Bec's photos, and also the photo shoot of Paige from the weekend before. So it was quite a productive 'holiday' weekend! The kids had a great time too.

The next few days will be busy trying to work out the masses of washing around the house - primarily clean, but still taking over! Also general tidy up, groceries, catching up with people, etc, etc. Thrilling stuff I'm sure.

Anyhow, this page I can show you, I got the idea from Celine's blog where she had done a page about her style. I used some of my funky flocked papers, this gorgeous Wild Asparagus paper and also some interesting tissue paper. Fun fun!

Can't wait to create some more.

Freestyle and Funky Things

Am very excited - am making plans at the moment to go to KiwiScraps' Freestyle Downunder in Sydney! Kell plans on coming too, and will be great to meet lots of people, learn techniques and just have a fun weekend. Am really looking forward to it.

Here are some pics of my mini album from Zina's class on Friday at Creative Edge. I've been working on it today and yesterday, it will be a gift (can't say too much - am not sure who reads my blog!). It has a few pages to finish, but I love the papers, etc. Zina's style is so cool, and quite in synch with my own taste - I already owned (or wanted) most of the products in the class kit (this is a good thing)!

Also VERY COOL is the new ranges Kiti Q have coming over the next month or so. Including MME Magnolia - which is way funky - and KI Wild Thing (love KI). Two I am SUPER excited about are BAM POP - both ranges! And Rouge de Garance, including the India-themed limited edition range! Can't wait can't wait can't wait.

Today was babysitting day, here are a couple of pics, including one of Matt, Ben's brother. He looks so much like Mike (Ben's dad), it is bizarre.

Puck and other things

We flew home from Adelaide last night, got home at about 9:30 I think. It was so funny, the Qantas check-in girl asked me where we were going, and I said 'Adelaide'. She says 'You're in Adelaide sweetie'. So I said 'Oh yeah, I meant the other one. Melbourne. The one where I live!' It was v. funny.

I just edited a few shots to pop on here, but I actually haven't edited the shoots as yet. These are just previews, for Bec, Hayley, etc ;) Here is a photo of Caden on Hayley's shoulder, one of Caden and my mum, one of Hayley and Ash, and a few from the photo shoot of Bec and Joel. That was HILARIOUS and lots of fun! Couldn't stop laughing. Neither could Bec, which was a bit of a problem ;) Just kidding, there will be some super cool photos in there. The other little bub is from the photo shoot I did of my cousin Matt's baby daughter Paige.

I haven't photographed my Creative Edge projects yet. I did two classes, one with Zina Wright on Friday night - a little mini album project which I haven't finished yet. The other was with Kate Mason on Saturday, and I left that double page layout with mum to put in her 'grandkids' album. It was a really nice layout, and suited my photos of Sienna fine, but was really just too girly for my taste. For that reason I was a bit disappointed with that class. The layout was fun to make, and Kate taught a couple of cool new techniques, but it just hadn't been what I was expecting. With the class called 'Let's get Arty', I thought perhaps paint would be involved, and bright colours etc. The pink florals, gingham and ribbon worked beautifully on the layout, but are just not my idea of 'arty'. I guess that is my own fault though - for assuming others have the same definitions of things as I do! It was still a good class.

Got to hang out with Bec on Friday, which was fantastic. Loved that, and had lots of laughs when she came to the Zina class with me. It was hectic, and a bit overwhelming for poor Bec, but I love Zina's paper and colour choices, and funky techniques. It was a fun night! I started to get really tired by the end though, and kept phasing out halfway through little conversations. Felt a bit stupid, but was just very tired though.

I have noticed lately, though, that my internal monologue is starting to drown out actual conversations taking place around me. I am not multi-tasking in that way as well as I used to, and unfortunately the things other people are saying seem to be the first things to drop off my radar. The weird bit is I don't notice until I come back to the conversation and realise I just weirded out for a minute, missing out on some crucial conversational content. It's starting to trip me out a bit.

Matt, Ben's little brother, is staying with us this week and Sienna is calling him 'Puck' instead of 'Matt'. It's quite strange. She repeats 'Matt' perfectly if I prompt her, but returns to calling him 'Puck'!

Careful of Fingers

What a strange vocabulary I have developed as a parent of toddlers. Just things and phrases you don't really say otherwise. And often things that don't actually make sense!

I am off to Adelaide tonight, with Ash. Will be doing two classes at Creative Edge - one with Zina Wright, which looks awesome, I just found out it is making a mini-album. The other is with Kate Mason, and I still have to choose or print some photos for that one. I'm not sure about it at the moment, as it is called 'Let's get arty' and so I had hoped it would be colourful, but it is pinks and lilacs apparently. Will probably be great tho!

It will also be fantastic to photograph Caden again, about 7 weeks after my first photos of him.

Oops have to run, Sienna is having a drama. Will leave you with a photo, this is the invite and table concept for my cousin Bec's anniversary party next month. Am delivering this stuff to her tomorrow in Adelaide.

Silk Road

This layout I did yesterday kind of developed over the afternoon, in between doing other things, and was finally completed late at night after watching the last episode of House Season 2 with Ben. The silk was the back from some quilted silk I have, and I had to unpick all the quilting to use the fabric! So then I used the quilting pattern and sewed it onto the layout with blue stitching. Love the Rhonna Farrer rub-ons too - the birds are from her Scribbles - Enchanted range. The other rub-ons are MME Bohemia.

I got the most funky flocked papers on Sunday afternoon, when I took my friend Sierra and also had Sienna with me, and we went to Prahran. 'Handworks' is a cool art/craft supply shop there, and I got these papers. They didn't, however, have the old-fashioned black photo corners that they used to have, and which I need! Oh well, will have to hunt around.

At Chapel Street Bazaar I bought this funky vintage travel bag - so cool!

I also made the mistake of saying to Sienna I'd get her a Spongebob toy 'if they had one', thinking he was way too 21st century or something. But it is Chapel Street Bazaar, and so of course one of the stalls full of colourful figurines had a couple of Spongebobs. So she was thrilled, and has a new favourite toy! What a funny little girlie.

I was so chuffed to see that Celine Navarro had visited my blog and linked it from her own! She is such a funky scrapbook artist, so colourful. The link to her blog is already in my list on the right. I will add a few more blogs to my list soon, as there are some others I visit regularly as well.

Mr Mess

The scrapbooking day didn't happen quite as planned - poor Kell had gastro and was sick all day. I watched the four kids for about 3-4 hours, and did actually get one scrap page done while I was there after all.

Here it is - I made it in response to the challenge on the KI Memories blog, to use one of their ranges but for a different purpose. So I used mainly the Alpine range, but not for snow and winter! Just for my boy. I've had this idea with these photos for a little while, so was great to get it done, and be happy with it.

Super cute

This will be a quick post, cos I am off to a day of scrapping and fun at Kell's. Poor thing feels sick today, so will also try and keep the kids from terrorizing her too much! Will have my kids there as well for a couple of hours, as Ben stayed up WAY late playing his new video game... not sure when he will surface ;) Ah, that's what Saturday's are for.

Here are some of the SUPER CUTE photos of my sis Kell and her hubby Rohan, from the photo shoot I did on their anniversary, on Thursday.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Today is my sister and brother-in-law's 5th wedding anniversary, so a congrats goes out to them! Marriage is hard sometimes and comes so naturally at other times, but our families are our home, and it's a beautiful thing.

Today I did a scrap page for the Kiti Q newsletter using Basic Grey blush products, and I really love it. The photos I took the other day - or was it the other week? - of my big sister Kell and her little boy Jude, who is 18 months. So today I wrote a poem to go with the layout (I'd got as far as making the brackets, and realised I needed journalling to go in them!), which came really easily so that's good. And the kids were both sleeping (shock! Sienna hardly ever sleeps in the day) so I had time to put it together in peace, which was very pleasant indeed :)

This afternoon I am photographing Kell and Roh for some anniversary photos, and on Saturday Kell is having a scrapbooking day! Yay! So I hope I will do at least one layout on the weekend. Now I am going to tidy the house and sing along to Regina Spektor, while Ash runs amok and Sienna reads books.

Time to Play

I am so in a scrapping mood at the moment (by that I mean this evening/tonight/right now), but it's past 11 and I've got to work tomorrow. However, I finished one layout since dinner, as well as watching an episode of House and doing a couple of other things.

I can't show it to you tho! I am really excited - I am having a feature article published in Scrapbook Creations in a few months. First time an article I've written will be in print (poetry doesn't count), and tonight's layout is for that feature. But I did one the other day for the 123 Challenge blog - I don't LOVE it but it is kinda cool, and I do really like the sewing of scraps on my chipboard brackets. A funky kinda technique I just felt like doing.

Had all four kids all day today - my two and Kell's two (same ages). Was actually pretty ok. It was good in particular that I had no ambition about achieving anything all day - other than childcaring - but in fact spent the morning tidying the house. Did dishes, cleaned my room, cleaned bathroom, lounge, kitchen, and folded and put away two loads of washing. Kids were really good. Spent afternoon childcaring (they get grumpier as they wear out!) and reading a book.

It was a good day but I am not surprised I was itching to create by the time Ash was in bed!

Excuse Me Mummy

We have been making sure Sienna says excuse me before asking for something lately, and this morning she is being very polite - saying 'excuse me mummy' every thirty seconds so she can point out to me whatever is on tv on the baby einstein video the kids are watching. Is driving me a bit mental, but she is being so polite! So what can you do.

Am really tired, feeling a bit weak still from Tuesday's inexplicable illness, and from lots of gardening. Had some photos printed yesterday, a bunch of 6"x8"s for something different, so would love to scrap but can't today. Later this week though.

Took some photos of my niece and nephew Alannah and Jude the other day. Here is also Alannah with Sienna, and my cute big sis Kell with Jude. Friday, I mean. Here are a couple of shots I like, but I haven't actually looked at them all yet.

Two Parcels and a Dragonfly

Actually, three parcels to be technical about it, but one was my page returned from Scrap Creations, which isn't interesting.

BUT first thing's first. I was really sick yesterday. Semi-conscious all day pretty much, despite the kids climbing all over me when they could. They got to watch a lot of tv. And good for me - Ash slept longer than usual. Must have been a nasty bug or something, I woke up at 2:30am and was up until 4am with all the horrors of gastro - or something like it. Then all day was just headachey and nauseous and feeling awful, trying to sleep.

Sienna was cute - at one point I was lying on the couch, and she comes over and says "Naughty Ash. Mummy - get up" and I said "no, mummy's sick". She says "ok, Sienna do" and trots over to Ash, who is pulling Ben's xbox controllers out of the tv cabinet. Sienna takes the controllers off him, says "don't touch, Ash - not a toy" and putting the controllers away, shuts the cabinet doors. Ash wasn't thrilled but I was quite happy about it, and it was super cute.

OK back to my story. So I was sick and horrible, and I had to open the door to sign for a package (the registered Scrap Creations one with my layout). But with it came ANOTHER package, from Rosie, who was my best friend all growing up and is always a part of my heart. It was such a thrill, as we keep in contact with great warmth but only rarely. She sent photos of her girls Athena and Arwen, which I have yet to scan in, and this drawing, and these little people in one of her artistically sewn pieces of fabric which I love. All so wonderful!

AND THEN AND THEN, today when we got home from work and picking the kids up from care, there was another parcel on my door - actually now that I remember, it was in the letterbox. This was a surprise gift sent from Germany from my lovely friend Sylvia King! She bought me this absolutely beautiful dragonfly necklace from Prague, where she and her husband Jeff went for a short break not long ago. I just LOVE it, and took a picture of me wearing it this evening so everyone can see it. I love dragonflies, and wearing the colour green, so it means even more to me that Sylvia chose this for me. I bought a silver dragonfly pendant in Sydney in November (but it is quite different in style), so this one makes it the beginning of a theme, which I am very happy with.

I think what is most meaningful is that I feel quite loved by my distant friends, and it is genuinely heart-warming to feel in their thoughts. I think of my friends, both near and far geographically (and emotionally, actually), all the time, but it is humbling to consider myself being in their thoughts also. True friendships are these where hearts touch even when hands cannot reach.